Downtown...sighs and sounds

These were snapped Downtown Bend when my daughter and I were out a few days ago... Is is just me or do you find one of the worst things about getting a funky or unusual thought- provoking shot is when people walk by you they either frown and stare at what you are shooting at or just shake their head, like "what the????" That is exactly what happened...more than once. Makes a person feel kind of a little self-concious. LoL

More photos...

The first photo is of an octopus tree trunk taken at Beverly Beach State Park along the Oregon Coast in November...

The second is of a rusty iron gate and

the third is from work...and is of a vintage Edwardian repro-greenhouse...love all the arches,lines and textures!

elevating the details...

"The secret of happiness lies in taking a genuine interest in all the details of daily life, and in elevating them to art."- William Morris
...as I was cleaning out the last of the Christmas and bringing back in the living room decorations, the black iron chandelier and the silver mercury glass ornament crossed paths. I had already been pondering what I wanted to put on the candle cup area (had already decided I didn't want to use candles) and as chance would have it...whoolaa--- just the look I wanted!

...here's what I did...realizing that the candle cup had a nail-type holder sticking up from the center (to hold the candle) I thought that if I took off the cap on the ornament and turned the ornament upside down over the nail to hold it...oh yeah! How fun was that!!!

Don't you just LOVe-LOVe it when you come up with a creative way to use something ???!!!
OK, so I wasn't quite finished, and taking these super cool silver leaf ornaments that my SIL sent ... draped them from the bottom of the chandelier... way fun!!! Now to finish decorating......off I go!

let the sun shine in...

these photos were snapped at work while the south facing windows were glimmering with the afternoon sun...I just adore this time of day!...
Most of the hectic work is out of the way by then and it is just usually me, the music and the flowers...even the walk-in customers are at a lull and even on the coldest of days I feel nestled and snug inside with all the sights and scents of the beauty of flowers...and all that surrounds me... ...this is a close up of the sun highlighting an antique table...

Yellow roses, orange roses and Mixed media photography workshop...

LatelyI've been thinking of improving my photography skills for a number of reasons and decided to take a workshop with Cynthia Powell called an Artists Workshop Retreat...it sounds like so much fun I can hardly wait to get started!
The workshop is broken down into 3 assignments, “Out in the Field” taking photos, “Manipulation” using the software and “In the Studio” for a technique that will bring it all together in an altered art project worthy of framing. The “In the Studio” is a plaster of Paris technique done on the matte frame that your manipulated photo will go into.

This photo is one that I took at the flower shop I work in of some roses...I had just de-thorned and put them in a floral bucket...The lighter colored ones are called "Kerio" and the darker orange ones "Milva"...

Here I am...why i am here...

I have been feeling the need to stretch my artistic wings this past year ...and I wanted the new space to begin anew...
So here I am, and am excited to see where I fly to!